In all of the angst about the decline of newspapers (particularly among professional journalists), there’s a common assumption, namely that less news gathering would be a bad thing. I’m not entirely sure that’s so.
Regardless of how much reporting on the weather there is, the amount of weather remains the same. It’s different with news. A remarkable number of news stories are fomented. It’s not that the events didn’t happen. Of course they did. But the amount of significance the events assume is strongly conditioned by the amount of news coverage they receive.
My guess is that people who completely ignore the news live significantly more tranquil, happier lives.
I’m not quite saying that ignorance is bliss. I just suspect that it’s easier to keep things in proportion when headlines aren’t being shoved down your throat.
